NEWS
OSBI calls missing Randlett, OK man a ‘suspicious disappearance’
Oklahoma law enforcement officers are still seeking information on a missing Randlett, OK man who was last seen nearly a month ago.
Grady Bruce Benson, 69, resides in Cotton County, OK, about 10 minutes outside Randlett. He was last seen on Nov. 9 before his family says he disappeared without a trace from his home off State Highway 70.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation has joined the investigation and calls it a “suspicious disappearance.” They are assisting the Cotton County Sheriff in the investigation.
Benson is a lifelong resident of the Randlett area. According to his wife, Bruce was focused on family and farming. They went to vote on Nov. 8 and when they came home, Maxine was getting ready for a trip with friends to Branson, MO.
Texoma’s homepage reports Maxine said it didn’t phase her at first when he didn’t return her texts right away, but after several missed calls she called their son, Grady, to check on Bruce.
Grady told investigators his dad brought him dinner from a nearby fish restaurant and helped him fix a flat tire on his plow. That was the last time anyone in the family talked with him or saw him. That night they both came back to the house and to the barn.
When they couldn’t get in touch with him the next day, Grady searched the house and property, before calling the sheriff’s office. There was no sign of his father on the property.
Grady said everything was in place at the home, the doors were locked and garage door down. All his vehicles also have been located. His cell phone, keys and wallet were found sitting in the driver’s side of his unlocked pickup, which his family said he always locked.
A Silver Alert was issued on Nov. 12. Initially law enforcement agencies from a 15-mile area assisted with a massive search for Bruce. They used drones, airplanes, helicopters, troopers on horseback and in vehicles searching all the way to the Red River. Nothing was found. His wife said Tuesday searches continue in the area around the home.
The family is offering a $25,000 reward to anyone who knows how to find Bruce. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans and worn Red Wing boots with the steel toe showing through.
Call the Cotton County Sheriff at 580-875-3383 or OSBI tipline at 800-522-8017 or [email protected].
A major crash on East Wise in front of the Second Monday parking on July 11 shut down traffic for several hours in the morning and sent two people to the Bowie emergency room.
The accident occurred at 9:53 a.m. Thursday at 1616 E. Wise involving a large sign installation truck and an SUV.
Briana Rollison, Bowie, was driving a 2001 Ford Expedition east in the 1600 block of E. Wise and the large truck from Turner Signs System of Richland Hills was traveling west on East Wise driven by Joshua Thompson.
The preliminary accident report states Thompson lost control of the vehicle crossing the double yellow line striking the SUV in front of the Parker Properties and Farm Services Building. The SUV was knocked into the ditch and later made it back on the roadway.
The truck rolled on the passenger side and slid about 50-100 feet west of the incident location. Skid marks from the truck were observed to start approximately 300-350 feet east of the crash location.
See the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Bowie City Councilors this week got their first look at the 2024-25 proposed budget seeing a balanced plan with a total operational budget of $23,296,885 in expenses, which is a little more than $1.4 million above the previous year’s budget.
Mayor Gaylynn Burris said Monday night the budget looks “eerily familiar” to last year, despite adding a few equipment purchases. City Manager Bert Cunningham said he had already slashed more than $300,000 from the department requests in order to get a balanced budget.
The utility fund is balanced with expenses of $12,595,995 and revenues projected at $12,601,000. In the general fund revenues are projected at $10,705,568 with expenses at $10,700,890. Total budget expenses are $23,296,885 and overall revenue projected at $23,306,568. Cunningham said it leaves a small margin to set forth a balanced budget.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo: New chip and seal was laid on Elba and Lamb this week repairing well-worn roads near the Nelson/Mill drainage project. (Photo by Barbara Green)
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Few additional details have been released in connection with the Tuesday theft arrest of 97th District Attorney Casey Hall, and in a statement to the media the DA called the allegations “unfounded.”
The Montague County Grand Jury issued an indictment for Hall following the presentation of evidence in the case Monday by Assistant Attorney General Matthew Shawhan. The indictment is the result of an investigation initiated by county officials.
The indictment is for theft of property $2,500-$30,000 in value. Sheriff Marshall Thomas served the arrest warrant Tuesday afternoon. Justice of the Peace Two Jack Pigg arraigned Hall at the jail after her arrest at 2:33 p.m. She was released on $5,000 bond, which was set by retired District Judge Jack McGaughey on Monday.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
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